A Silent Sorrow: Pregnancy Loss: Guidance and Support for You and Your Family, Ingrid Kohn, MSW and Perry-Lynn Moffitt with Isabelle A. Wilkins, MD. My sister notes of this book that "after Jack died, I could not have done without it."

Hope Deferred: Heart-Healing Reflections on Reproductive Loss, ed. Nadine Pence France and Mary Stimming. A collection of essays weaving together personal narratives, spirituality and theological reflection. This book includes the article by Serene Jones mentioned in my article.

A Gift of Time: Continuing Your Pregnancy When Your Baby’s Life Is Expected to Be Brief (Johns Hopkins University Press), Amy Kuebelbeck and Deborah L. Davis

Support Groups

Compassionate Friends: for parents who have lost a child at any age. In Louisville there is a group called "Consoling Parents" which is specifically for prenatal and infant loss. They have a Web site at www.consolingparents.com.

Comments

CHRIS PRAMUK | 4/20/2011 - 10:22am

It is joy to see messages here from dear friends and former colleagues, Rob and Colleen, of past days in Denver. Thanks Rob for adding your link, and Colleen, I offer my sincere prayers for consolation in the wake of your family's loss. To "Puente" and others on the article forum who have asked for resources related to infertility, a number of readers have suggested Tim Muldoon's spiritual memoir, Longing to Love. I'm very moved by Puente's comment. If Tim or others have suggested resources specific to the anguish and loss of infertility, I'd be very grateful if you could post them here, or email me at Xavier University and I will ask America to add them to the resources link.

Ironically as I logged in to say "thanks," I discovered my friend and former co-worker in theology, Rob Garavaglia, had done the same. Rob and his amazing wife recently helped me to help my son and his wife deal with the no heartbeat scenario you describe in the article. You speak correctly when you say it is friends and family that allow us to find grace/God in these situations. You, Christopher, also borrowed my female students (Mullen High School) early in your career to obtain research data . I appreciate you returning the favor with your resources listed here. Blessings on you and your family.

While this is a significant and timely pastoral concern for many today, there are other couples who struggle with a similar, though, unique issue regarding the loss of a child.

Are there comparable resources for couples who are infertile? The emotional stake of a married couple who hopes and faithfully abides by all the Church's teaching regarding natural family planning in hopes of having a family, yet remain childless, is tantamount to the loss of a child. As described in the article, the anguish and sorrow in that loss is also felt by the couple who remains childless, though not by choice.